"Her life was taken by a rare amoeba organism that grows in many different fresh water settings. We want you to know this tragic event is very, very rare, and this is not something to become fearful about."

That is a hell of a statement by the family. I feel for their loss and respect their strength and courage.

AngryDragon:"Her life was taken by a rare amoeba organism that grows in many different fresh water settings. We want you to know this tragic event is very, very rare, and this is not something to become fearful about."

That is a hell of a statement by the family. I feel for their loss and respect their strength and courage.

Indeed. Nice to see a rational and calm response to a tragic loss, as opposed to a PR blitz of blame-externalization, lawsuits, and a crusade for new laws, regulations, and prohibitions that usually eminates from a family when one of their family members Dawin's themselves.

/yes, I know she didn't Darwin herself//still nice to not be subjected to melodramatic appeals to ban water

Also - why in these stories can't I find which bodies of water she'd been to? It's a little important being a Kansas resident and all...

My guess would be they're in the Kansas City area since she's from Spring Hill, but as TheGreatGazoo pointed out, the amoeba is pretty much everywhere in bodies of fresh water. The infection just happens so rarely that we don't think about it.

Serious Black:This guy's already seen it once, so he would have figured out her ailment and cured her right away:

That episode pissed me off, since everything about the medicine in it was wrong- nobody ever gets it from their ventilation system- it generally goes up the nose by directly bathing in the affected pond- it's practically a death sentence, and nobody really knows how to treat it, just recommended regimens on which people seem to occasionally survive

lake_huron:Serious Black: This guy's already seen it once, so he would have figured out her ailment and cured her right away:

That episode pissed me off, since everything about the medicine in it was wrong- nobody ever gets it from their ventilation system- it generally goes up the nose by directly bathing in the affected pond- it's practically a death sentence, and nobody really knows how to treat it, just recommended regimens on which people seem to occasionally survive

Didn't you just describe Legionaries Disease with the ventilation system?

"Her life was taken by a rare amoeba organism that grows in many different fresh water settings. We want you to know this tragic event is very, very rare, and this is not something to become fearful about."

Break out the Chlorine! She was in four different bodies of water, there are your targets. KILL THEM ALL, make it even more rare.

TheGreatGazoo:It is pretty much in all bodies of water. You basically run into problems if you get a nose full of lakewater such as falling off water skis the wrong way.

Serious Black:My guess would be they're in the Kansas City area since she's from Spring Hill, but as TheGreatGazoo pointed out, the amoeba is pretty much everywhere in bodies of fresh water. The infection just happens so rarely that we don't think about it.

Not everywhere - it's geographically limited but I get your point. It would still be nice to know where they think she got it, but I imagine they don't want to unnecessarily freak out the populace.

Also - it must have to be a traumatic introduction to create an infection, like a water-skiing crash.

/off to do some reading, as an infectious disease specialist this is good information to have...

Sure, pools are chlorinated and stuff, but you're virtually certain to eventually get your intestines sucked out through your asshole by the filter pumps...I'll take my chances with the amoebas ('amoebae'?)...